DIY internal stables - your opinions please!

[Tronk]

We are moving house and have the opportunity to build internal stabling in an existing barn. I've viewed a few internal stable yards and got quotes etc from manufacturers. To me, they seem ridiculously expensive, so my OH and I have been racking our brains for how we can make our own. Building them with blocks is out of the question as whatever we put in has to be able to be removed in the future if the barn is needed for other things (part of family farm...).

So - we have a cunning plan, and before we go ahead and order the bits and pieces necessary I thought I'd run it past the great HHO minds who may have been there and done that and be able to offer advice!

The plan is to make the partitions of the stables from (new eco treated) railway sleepers, slid into steel uprights that are bolted to the floor (properly drilled into the concrete). Basically each partition will be two railway sleepers long (approx 16') with a steel upright at each end and one in the middle. Across the front of the stable will be a 12' gate that is safe for horses i.e. with the steel mesh on rather than bars. The partitions will be about 7' high. I am thinking the beauty of this is that we will be able to get a forklift in to help with mucking out in the spring if necessary and each horse will have a 12'x16' stable. All for the fraction of the cost of proper internal stabling.

Is there anything obvious safety, cost or practicality wise that I am missing? Are the partitions high enough?

thanks! x

 

[Pearlsasinger]

That sound great. I am especially jealous of the forklift mucking out!
A friend has a similar set up but as it was originally intended for, and still sometimes used for, cattle it is mostly made of rounded metal bars. So far as I know she has never had a problem with any of the horses, from Shetlands to 17hh hunters, even when they are in at the same time as the cattle or sheep.

 

[Cragrat]

Brilliant idea, we have similar, but use a single scaffold bar 14' long to separate the stables. Slides in and out of holes drilled in the wall, and lined with drain pipe ( the holes that is). Works for ours, who are lifelong buddies, let's them groom over the divide.

If you are using steel girders, perhaps chop them just a little shorter than needed, so you don't get a sharp edge sticking above the wooden sleeper. We have steel H girder uprights elsewhere, and they are blooming sharp - I use old tyres wedged over them to reduce injury.

Watch out using the tractor mucking out - my OH did this once too often, and got careless, ripped some steel uprights out of the concrete it was bolted to, - made a right mess Repairs to concrete, new uprights and bolting plate and bolts needed!

 

[Tronk]

Thanks - I will bear the sharp edges in mind! Like the idea of bars or poles as partitions - it would make it barn lighter as well.

 

[Penny Eater]

Do you really need stables in the barn, or are you thinking for liveries? My dream place (when I get that elusive lottery win) would have a big open barn the horses could choose to go in and out of when they wanted. Plus a hundred odd acres with some hills, a little wood maybe, a stream.... Come on lotto numbers.

 

[Tronk]

Penny I'm with you on the open barn idea, however the barn is across a busy concrete yard from the fields so not an option unfortunately. But I'm not complaining as I've always dreamed of internal stables & not having to stand in the rain with the farrier

 

[Orchardbeck]

We built (well my OH did) a steel portal framed barn and got a guy to make three partitions with wood at the bottom and steel bars at the top, £150 each. The shed has concrete panels at the bottom, and Yorkshire boarding at the top so has great ventilation. The good thing is we can extend it so we're going to add a couple more bays -it's 20ft x 20ft so we currently have a 12x12 box with an 8x12 feed/store and an 8x20 covered walkway in front of the stable which is great for keeping the weather out. OH did ground works, concrete and boarding so was just the cost of materials, plus we can take the panels out should we need to turn it in to a sheep shed for example (I don't think so!!).

 

[Maesfen]

Those railway sleepers aren't cheap, nor the metal work but a cheaper option would be to use gates to divide the boxes and use for the fronts too which would still allow the fork lift in. You can use metal posts for both the ends and in the middle where they would join (make it a moveable one there, sunk into the ground but easily lifted out to open it up for cleaning. Make sure you line the gates with ply to avoid any legs through them and hang them high enough that the horses aren't able to jump over. If you have a gap at the bottom of them, make sure it's high enough the feet can escape easily if they ever roll by the door.

 

[flirtygerty]

Those railway sleepers aren't cheap, nor the metal work but a cheaper option would be to use gates to divide the boxes and use for the fronts too which would still allow the fork lift in. You can use metal posts for both the ends and in the middle where they would join (make it a moveable one there, sunk into the ground but easily lifted out to open it up for cleaning. Make sure you line the gates with ply to avoid any legs through them and hang them high enough that the horses aren't able to jump over. If you have a gap at the bottom of them, make sure it's high enough the feet can escape easily if they ever roll by the door.

This is what I have, I can section it off using the gates, then tie them back for cleaning or just a big open space, just moved here and will be boarding the gates next year, but the layout is so useful

 

[tashcat]

Sounds like a great idea! I can't see any problems - although I'm not a hugely technical person!

Are you offering livery? If the prices were lower as a result of the lower cost of building, I'm sure it would appeal to many!

Only worrying thought is the farrier - would hot shoeing really be safe inside the barn? That might be something to think about, if only a passing thought about avoiding the rain! Maybe an outside lean-to or stone shelter might keep dry heads and safe barns.

Hope everything works out!